Combined table and desk.



No.874,846. I PATENTED DEG.'24,1907.

- I I B. HIGGINS.

COMBINED TABLE ANDDESK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3011907.

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Qvwantoz attowog4 No. 874,846. PATENTED DEC. 24, 1907. ,E. HIGGINS.

GOMBINBD TABLE AND DESK.

APPLIQATION FILED JULY 30, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. EDMUND HIQGINS, 0F SOLDIERS HOME, CALIFORNIA. I

To all. whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND I-Ireonvs, a citizen of the United States,residing at SoldiersHome in the county of Los Angeles and State ofGaiifornia, have invented a new and useful Combined Table and Desk, ofwhich the following is a s ecification. i

This invention as reference to improvements in combined tables anddesks, and is designed to. produce a desk on which. heavy volumes may beeasily secured. and-read without the necessity ofbending over the desk.

The object of the invention is to produce a desk having a top which maybe tilted to various degrees from the horizontal forconvens ience inreading a book placed upon the to and which may also be brought to anear y vertical position so that the top. may be utilized as an easelfor artists, si 11 writersand others. In addition to, this, t estructure is so arranged as to. rovide a secret compartment not at alllia leto be found by any one unacquainted with the structure of thedesk.

. The invention consists essentially in a desk body a top movable abouta center so as to be tilted to a convenient inclination for reading, andthe top is also movable about another center so as to be tilted into anearly vertical position for use as an easel.

The moving top is rovided with a curtain extension so arrange as to hidethe interior of the body as the top is tilted, and beneath this curtainthere is arranged a secret cornpar-tment havinga cover which isaccessible when the curtain is removed, While the upper wall of thesecret compartment may be so formed as to in art constitute a rack forholding the top in t e inclined positions to, which it is adjustable.

The invention Wlll be fully understood from thefollowin detaileddescription, taken in connection wit the accompanyingdrawings formingpart of this specification, in which,

Fi e 1 is a perspective view of the combined d esk and table, showingthe desk structure projected; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through thestructure, showing the top moved to an inclination; Fig. 3 isaperspective view of the-latch mechanism. for holding the top in theinclined positions; and Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views. 3

Referring to the drawin s, there is shown a desk frame consistin ofhollow end pedestals 1 which may, if esired, be made sufiiciently wide,to receive drawers in the usual Specification of Letters-Patent.Application. filed July so. 1907. Serial no. 386.227.

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manner, and; the pedestals; are joined a back 2 and suits leicross 3together wlth a bottom 4 and an s el 5, aswel as a front conn ction 6,The whole structure may rest/upon casters. '1 in the usual manner.

Housed in the space between thepedestals 1s a, desk structure consistingof sides, 8 pivot: ed a heir lower n s, as show at 9,. o; a

fixe Portio of h pe st s; an hese sides are conne d: by atopa e 0 an anm: Th p t.I r0vidtuiv mental front 1 1. with a depressed portion12forthereceptipn of stationery and the like, and this a p ning n rm cls y a v r L Within the. receptac e. 12 may be located an inkwell 14having a closure 15. at the. upper end. The frame'lO, is hing frontcorners of the sides 8 and the other end of he am i prov ded. wi h r ler mmmg .11 g id 8. f r e in. th upper Po t on of the top of the deskstructure, so that when the sides 8 of the desk. structure are drawnoutward the frame 10 'is carried.- th rewith and ultimately engages thetops of these sides 8, when the cover 10 and frame 13 restin an inclinedposition a propriate for a person seated n a chair an at about theproper height and slant for a person to $9 the desk for writing.

The body' portion is continued upward above the desk receiving portion,and. 1s provided with arc-shaped; u per ends 19 struck from a centerdetermine by pivots 20, to be heremafter referred to. Fitted to theupper end of the body is a rectangular top 2], ha?)- ing sides withwalls curved on arcs struck from the ivots 20, as shown at 22, and thecurved e ges 22 rest upon the arc-shaped or curved e ges 19. At each endof the top 21 are guide plates 23 extending downward a short distancealong the ends of the pedestals of the desk, so that the top isprevented; from moving longitudinally with relation to the desk, andexterior to these guides. are other side extensions 24 to which arepivoted arms ed at 16 to then these ar in m, r m unt d upon the pivots20. The. other ends of the arms 25 are offset, as shown at 26, andcurved upon a center determined by a pivot 27 I connectin the arms 25and side extensions 24.

ow, let' it be supposed that the top. 21; of the structure, whichconstitutes the bookholdillg P for ad g P rpos s, smQv-ed ivots 20 as anIt be clined position and may be moved in such direction until the arms25 meet stops 28 and their motion is then arrested. However, the top maystill be turned about the pivots 27, and the structure is such that whenthe motion of the arms 25 is arrested by the stops 28 the to may then beturned about the shorter axis dbtermined by the pivots 27 and be allowedto assume a nearly vertical position along the front of the pedestals.When in this position the top may be held by extensible brackets 29,normally housed in the pedestals and pivoted thereto at their lowerends, while the extent of projection of these brackets is determined bystops 30 carried thereby and engaging the front walls of the pedestalswhere the brackets project through the latter. Each bracket is providedwith a knob 31 for convenient manipulation. The brackets are soconstructed that when projected their upper edges are horizontal. Bymoving the engaging edge of the top along the upper edge of the brackets29 away from the bod of the structure,the inclination of the wor g faceof the top section of the table may be adjusted at will.

Along one edge of the working face of the top 21 1s a ledge 32 againstwhich may rest the edge of a book, such as indicated at 33, and a cord34 may be provided for holding the leaves of the book in position, andfor other purposes, or more than one cord may be provided if so desired.When'the top is in the nearl vertical position for use as an easel thele ge,32 will serve as a sup ort for anything placed upon the easel, w ethe cord or cords 34 may then be utilized to hold the paintin or sign orwhatever else may be placed on t e easel, in place. I

Just above the frame 10 and housed in the body of the structure is aplate 35, between which latter and the adjustable top there remains aconsiderable space. This space is utilized as a. secret compartment byplacing above the plate 35 a curved wall 36 having one section 37constituting about one-half of the wall 36 hinged thereto, as shown at38. The hinge or hinges are arranged longitudinally with reference tothe wall 36, so that when the front end of the section 37 is raisedaccess is had to the space beneath the wall 36 and between it and thelate 35. Suitable latches 39 may be provi ed for holding the hin edsection or door 37 closed.

ounted in the top portion 21 at the rear edge thereof is a curta1nroller 40 carrying a curtain 41, the free end of which may be providedwith hooks 42 to engage pins 43 on the body portion of the structure, sothat when the top portion 21 is adjusted to various degrees ofinclinations the curtain 41 will be withdrawn from the roller 40 andovers read the wall 36, thus hiding it from view an also concealing thefact that this wall covers a secret compartment. The secrecy of thiscompartment may be further provided for by placlng the hinges 38 on theinner or concealed side of the wall 36, so that even were an observer tosee the division line between the cover section 37 and the remainder ofthe wall 36 there would be no intimation that this constituted a hingedsection which could be opened.

The wall 36, with its hinged section 37, near each end is formed withseries of ratchet teeth 44 in which normally engage pawls 45 fast on aplate .46 hinged on a rod 47 extending through the to 21. Thepawl-carrying plate 46 is en age by the angle ends 48 of rods 49 suitaby supported in eyes or brackets 50 fast in the top of the structure.These rods 49 extend to'and through the front panel 51 of the top 21 andare there turned at an the pawls 45 out of engagement with the ratchetteeth 44. Now, by pulling upon the handle ends 52 of the rods 49 the topmay be tilted forward as far as desired, when the rods 49 may bereturned to their normal posi-.

tion, thus releasing the plate 46 and permitting the pawls 45 to dropinto engagement with the teeth 44. Under these conditions the top 21will remain in the inclined osition, being held there by the awls 45,until the latter are again released om the teeth, when the top may befurther tilted. It may, however, be pushed back to its normal horizontalposition without mani ulating -the rods 49, since the pawls 45 are freeto move upward from the teeth. When the top is moved backward to itsnormalposition the roller 40, which is of the spring roller type, willrewind the curtain 41.

When it is desired to gain access to the secret compartment the curtainma be unhooked from the pins 42 and the top ten ht to the position shownin dotted lines in ig. 2, resting on the brackets 29. The cover 37 isthen exposed to view and by mani ulating the latches39 to release thecover tl ie latter may be lifted and access to the secret compartmentmay be had.

I claim p p 1.. The combination in a desk, of a main frame, ivot memberscarried thereby, the top of t e frame being arranged on a curved linestruck from the center of said pivots, an adjustable top section, armsmounted on said pivots, pivotal connections between the arms and the topsection, a rack carried by the mainframe, and a pawl carried by the topsection and engaging said rack.

'3. The combination in a desk, of a main frame, an ad ustable topsection, pivotal connections between the top section and the .main framewhereby the top section may be .pivot arms, and pawl-and-ratchetadjusting means for the top section 4. The combination in a desk, of amain frame, pivot arms carried thereby, a top section, the meeting edgesof the top section and main frame being curved on an arc struck from theaxis of the pivotal connections between the arms and the main frame,pawland-ratehet detents for holding the top in the adjusted positions,and brackets carried by the main frame for supporting the top when movedto one side of the main frame.

, In a desk, a main frame, a top therefor movable with relation to themain frame and from engagement with the upper endthereof, a compartmentconcealed between the top of the desk and the main frame and carried bysaid main frame, and a member connected to the desk top and movablethereby over and concealing the compartment when the said desk top ismoved with relation to the main frame.

6. In a desk, a main frame, a to therefor I ter, and a concealingcurtain carried by the top section and attached to the main frame andcovering the compartment when the top section is moved wit 1 relation tothe main frame.

7. The combination in a desk, of a main frame, an adjustable top sectiontherefor, a compartment in the main frame concealed by the top section,a curtain carried by the top section and arranged to cover thecompartment when the top section is adjusted with relation to the mainframe, ratchet teeth formed in the walls of the compartment, and pawlscarried by the top section and engaging said ratchet teeth 8. Thecombination in a desk, of a main frame, an adjustable top sectiontherefor, a compartment in the main frame concealed by the top section,a curtain carried by the top section and arranged to cover thecompartment when the top section is adjusted with relation to the mainframe, ratchet teeth formed in the walls of the compartment, pawlscarried by the top section and engaging said ratchet teeth, and meansfor operating said pawls to release the top section from engagement withthe ratchet teeth, comprising rotatable rods having angle ends formoving the pawls'out of engagement with the teeth and having other angleends exterior to the top and constituting manipulating handles. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses EDMUND HIGGINS.

Witnesses:

RICHARD W. DAWSON, WILLIAM C. REED

